Inuyasha's Promise
by Nobody Hekele
Summary: Oneshot songfic to Simple Plan's 'Promise' Gift for my loyal reviewer and friend, Suaru.Kagome gets hurt and Inuyasha feels guilty. He asks Kagome to promise him something, but she'll only do it if he promises her the same thing. Happy ending!


**Inuyasha's Promise**

Hey guys! Hekele Masuyo, now known as Hekele Adams, is back with a new one-shot! This is my faithful reviewer, Suaru's, reward for checking out my friend Lightning Assassin's fan-fic: An Old Friend And A New Foe. She requested a Kag/Inu pairing with a romance/humor theme. I hate to admit it...but most of this is sad romance (sorry Suaru!)...but there's a few funny moments...(cough, cough-at the end-cough, cough)

The song is 'Promise', by Simple Plan. I _was_ going to do 'Kiss Me Fool' by Fefe Dobson, but I ended up listening to this song twice and said to myself, "Hekele...this is the one!" It's like when I make music videos...I look at cd covers, sort the covers into maybe and hell-no piles, and then I dive into the lyrics. I was already listening to 'Kiss Me Fool' for the tenth time, trying to think up a non-AU scenario, (I had forgotten to ask Suaru if AU was ok, and I felt like writing NOW,) when I randomly picked up my Simple Plan cd off the floor. I stared at it for a moment and said to myself, "The song's in here." I swear, my brother thought I was insane for talking to myself like that...but who cares right? So I popped it into the cd player, shuffled through a few songs I had mentally dubbed 'maybe' just by looking at the cover, and then came to this one. I heard one verse before a scenario started playing out in my head. No lie. I listened to the song a second time through before completely yanking the cd from the player and plopping it into the cd drive of my computer and starting to write. Talk about inspiration right?

Well, I'm not saying that this story is a masterpiece or anything, but I just felt prompted to write it. You might even call it cliche...but I could care less...I'm in one of those moods where nothing matters. Weird huh? I'm never like that...

Suaru, I hope you enjoy this; it was a snap thought, but I think it's ok. Thanks for reading my stories and being one of my top three favorite reviewers; you've always been good about expressing opinions when I ask for them, and I appreciate it. You're one of those people who deserve one of these just for floating around No joke. You are amazing.

Disclaimer: Lol, guys, if I owned this, I would marry Sesshoumaru, Kags and Inu would have MANY more fluffy moments, Miroku would stay unconscious for one entire episode due to his perverted ways, and Sango wouldn't feel bad about it in the end. Ok? In short, it never will happen, thought I wish it would...

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**Inuyasha's Promise**

Inuyasha growled as he ran after Kagome's scent through the forest. The damn girl had 'sat' him again, and was going home. Sure, he had picked a fight with her about staying in his era and shard hunting rather than going home to her brother's birthday party, but a 'sit' was completely uncalled for...right? At least Sango and Miroku weren't around to chew him out for making her leave again; they were out hunting for rumors about shards. Shippo, however, had been as pissed as usual. Stupid little-

Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks as an out-of-place scent reached his nose.

_Kohaku...what the hell is he doing here?_ His answer was a high pitched scream. Kagome's scream

Inuyasha's speed doubled; Kagome was in danger. Her scent told him that she was near the well...she had almost made it to safety...

"Kagome! Hold on!" he yelled as he burst through the trees to the clearing by the well. It was at that exact moment that the scent of her blood reached his nose.

Kohaku's scythe ripped through her abdomen like a knife through butter. Inuyasha heard her cry out in pain and was quick enough to catch her before she hit the ground. Blood was flowing from her stomach at an alarming rate, and Inuyasha glared up at Kohaku, red flickering in his eyes.

"The scythe was laced in Naraku's miasma...she will die of her injuries half-breed." Kohaku's eyes were that of a puppet, and Inuyasha knew that Naraku would be nearby watching the show. Before Inuyasha could vocalize some sort of threat though, Kohaku took off into the woods, retreating.

Inuyasha looked down at Kagome, who was fighting to stay conscious. _Damn...Hold on Kagome..._ he thought as he removed his haori and wrapped it tightly around her stomach to help slow the bleeding.

"Stay with me Kagome...stay awake..." he said as he carefully picked her up and took off in the direction of the village. He couldn't let her family see her like this...especially on her kid brother's birthday...

"Inu..." He looked down at her and tried his best to offer a reassuring smile, but he knew that he had failed miserably.

"Hold on Kags...you'll be ok..."

_**Break down...**_

_**I can't take this;**_

_**I need somewhere to go.**_

_**I need you.**_

_**I'm so restless.**_

_**I don't know what to do...**_

Inuyasha waited outside Kaede's hut as she tended to Kagome's abdomen. He was pacing, and even Shippo was too worried to yell at him for not protecting her. Inuyasha, however, dwelled on the subject.

_I swore that I'd protect her...damn...she'll never forgive me for this time...it was my fault she left to begin with..._ Inuyasha was brought from his stupor when Shippo landed on his shoulder.

"Inuyasha..." he said timidly.

_Great...now I've gotta hear it from the kit..._ "What is it?" he asked.

Shippo looked at the ground, "Do you think that Kagome will make it?" Inuyasha stopped pacing and looked at him

"Of course she will you dumb kit; she's too tough to let this put her out of commission..." he replied. Shippo looked at his accusingly.

"Then why are you so worried too?" Before Inuyasha could reply, Kaede exited the hut with a grim look about her face. Inuyasha put Shippo on the ground and went over to her.

"How is she?" he asked shortly. Kaede shook her head.

"The combination of the miasma and the wound itself make it difficult to say Inuyasha...ye...must realize that she may not make it..." Inuyasha swore that he felt his heart stop. She couldn't...she couldn't be saying that Kagome would die...she was too strong...

"Keh, you worry too much old hag...she'll be fine in a few days..." he said, trying to cover his worry.

Kaede, however, knew this tendency of his, "_If_ she makes it through the night Inuyasha...by then the poison would be destroyed by her miko powers...and then in a few more days she'd be ready to be transferred to her home...I think ye understand why..."

_Cuz they can take better care of her there...better than I can anyway..._

"...Ye should go see her...she's sleeping but...it may help her to have ye near..." Kaede suggested.

_**We've had our rough times;**_

_**Fighting all night,**_

_**And now you're just slipping away...**_

_**So give me this chance**_

_**To make the wrongs right, to say:**_

_**Don't, don't, don't walk away...**_

Inuyasha sat by Kagome's side quietly. He didn't want to wake her up and have her feel more pain than she needed to. Her breathing was labored, he noticed, and she looked like she had a bad fever. She was sweating pretty badly and Inuyasha looked around at his surroundings, looking for something.

He found a bucket nearby, along with a clean cloth. The bucket already had cold water in it too...

_Thanks hag..._ he thought as he retrieved the said items and returned to her side. He wet the cloth and placed it on her forehead gently. He bit his lip in worry as he tentatively grasped her hand.

_**I promise;**_

_**I won't let you down, you down,**_

_**If you take my hand tonight.**_

_**I promise;**_

_**We'll be just fine, this time,**_

_**If you take my hand tonight...**_

"Come on Kagome...you can't die on me now...you've got too much to do...and I'm not talking about the damn jewel you broke either..." he said sadly. He lightly stroked her hand with his thumb. "You've gotta be able to go home in a few days and get pummeled by your bro for missing that stupid party of his...and you can't say that I didn't tell you to stay behind either...you would have been better off..." _Still...I should have been with you...I should have followed you to the well quicker...you would have been safe then..._ he thought remorsefully.

"I should have protected you better...I should have tried harder...I failed you again..." he continued. It was true; he was always letting her get hurt like this...even though he had sworn to protect her...

"Inu..." Inuyasha snapped to and looked at her face, seeing her eyes partly open. She looked like she was in so much pain...

"Hey...I'm right here Kags..." he said, subconsciously holding her hand tighter. She looked at him and smiled.

"Quit...being a baka..." she croaked out. Inuyasha's face softened when she did so; she was in a lot of pain...he could tell...but she still tried to cheer _him _up.

"I'm not being a baka; you are! You're the one who insisted on going home! And look where it got you!" Ok, he was worried, but he couldn't tell her that...and he couldn't have her worrying about him...he didn't deserve it...

Kagome laughed lightly, and it turned into fits of coughs. Inuyasha was quick to give her some water, and to re-wet the cloth on her forehead. His eyes held deep concern, and even the severely injured Kagome noticed.

"I suppose you're right...I'm sorry..." she said. Inuyasha's ears flattened at this, and his hand brushed away at her bangs.

"Nah...it's my fault and I know it...don't go takin' the blame for me Kags..." he mumbled. Kagome heard him and sighed, though the end result was an aching chest. It must be from the poison...

"Shut up you dummy..."

_**Without you, I go through the motions.**_

_**Without you, it's just not quite the same.**_

_**Without you, I don't wanna go out.**_

_**I just want to say**_

_**That I'm sick of these fights;**_

_**I'll let you be right**_

_**If it stops you from running away...**_

Kagome ended up falling back asleep soon, and Inuyasha maintained his vigil. His mind began to wander, however. Thoughts of what would happen if she died entered his mind. Sango would be devastated; Kagome was all but her sister...and the thought of Kohaku being the one to cause her injuries would haunt her whether Kagome lived or not. Shippo...well...she was Shippo's mother now...the kit didn't deserve to lose his family again...it'd kill him. Miroku treated Kagome like a little sister...most of the time...and Inuyasha knew that her death would upset him as much as it would any of the others.

What about her family? How would he ever be able to face them and tell them that he had let her die? Her brother looked up to him...he'd hate Inuyasha after he found out...the shame alone would kill Inuyasha...unless of course the old man's talismans decided to start working in his rage at the hanyou. And her mother...damn...her mother trusted him more than either of them with Kagome's safety...she'd probably start crying on the spot. Inuyasha knew how much she loved her daughter...

And of course, how could Inuyasha forget Koga? Koga would want to kill him for letting it happen, and then tear off after Naraku.

_Heh...if she dies...I deserve to let him kill me...**he** could have at least kept her safe probably..._

"You know how much that sucks Kagome? I'm starting to actually think that you'd be better off with that flea-bitten wolf..." he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Kaede shooed him out for a few minutes so that she could change Kagome's bandages, and Inuyasha reluctantly complied. It was ten of the most agonizingly long minutes of Inuyasha's life. He was so worried about her.

Shippo was already in bed in another hut; Kaede would be spending the remainder of the night there as well. She claimed that Inuyasha needed to be with Kagome, and that she didn't want to be in his way. Stupid hag...

"Inuyasha."

_Speak of the devil..._ he thought as he turned to face her, "How does she look?"

"...I cannot say...her powers seem to be doing a fine job ridding her system of the miasma...but ye mustn't get yer hopes up...it is still a long night Inuyasha..." the old woman relayed. Inuyasha sighed and nodded.

"I know..."

_**So give me this chance**_

_**To make these wrongs right, to say:**_

_**Don't, don't, don't walk away...**_

"Kagome..." Inuyasha said tentatively as he sat next to her once more. Kagome opened her eyes immediately and turned her head to him. She looked paler than Inuyasha remembered...

"Hey...how're you doing?" she asked quietly. Her voice cracked a bit, making Inuyasha flinch with guilt.

"Don't worry about me Kags...worry about yourself..." he mumbled. Kagome glared at him.

"Why shouldn't I worry about you? What'll happen to you if I die? Who'll look out for you!" she tried to yell. She ended up coughing once more and crying out in pain as her abdomen started to throb.

Inuyasha quickly, but gently, turned her to her side so that she wouldn't choke. He then placed her head in his lap to pillow it, as she had done for him once. He absently began to stroke her hair as he became lost in thought.

"Hey...Kagome?"

Kagome looked up at him, "Hm?"

"...Promise me that you'll be ok."

_**I promise;**_

_**I won't let you down, you down,**_

_**If you take my hand tonight.**_

_**I promise;**_

_**We'll be just fine, this time,**_

_**If you take my hand tonight...**_

"Inuyasha...that's a big thing to promise...I...I don't know if I can..." she said sadly. Inuyasha's ears drooped a bit and his eyes became even more downcast. Was she giving up?

"Well, promise me anyways...promise me that you'll live to be as old a hag as Kaede is...and then some..." he said, lips curling into a small smile at his disrespectful reference to Kaede. Kagome, too, seemed a little amused.

"Heh...I will...on one condition..." she consented. Inuyasha perked up.

"Oh yea? What's that?" he asked, still stroking her hair.

Kagome turned her head to look up at him fully; her eyes were full of resolution, "You have to promise me the same thing..."

_**Take my hand...**_

Inuyasha was shocked. Promise her the same thing? But...he had already promised Kikyo...that he'd let her take him to hell...

"Kagome...you know I can't...I promised Kikyo that-"

"Inuyasha...I don't...care. Your life doesn't belong to her...no matter what you think...and if it means keeping you alive...then I'll just let myself die..." she said, with firm conviction. Inuyasha's face was one of alarm.

"Kagome-"

"No! If I live, then we'll be able to track down the stupid shards and beat Naraku, and then you'll go to hell with her and die! But...if _I_ die...then you won't get the shards...and it won't ever be over...and that way..._you'll _live..." she said, her mind made up. Inuyasha's face was one of horror.

"Kagome...how can you want that? How can you just give up for some stupid half-assed logic to keep me alive? It's my choice..."

Kagome never looked away from him, "I know...but...what would I be if you died? I'd be alone again...sure, there'd be Miroku...Sango...and Shippo of course...but not you. Why do you think I always come back, no matter how mad I get at you? It's...it's because I love you...and someone that loves you couldn't possibly s-i-t around and tell you that you had to die with them...especially because of a mistake that you had just avenged..."

_**Take my hand...**_

_**(I promise...)**_

Inuyasha's eyes became wide, "You...you _love _me? How...why?" Kagome's face softened into a small smile; she could hear awe in his voice, and awe didn't usually mean rejection.

"...Why shouldn't I?" she asked. Inuyasha's mouth moved but no sound came out. She loved him? After everything he put her through? Everything he had said to her? All the times he had failed to protect her? She loved him? And would rather die than see him do so?

Kagome managed a small laugh without suffering too much pain, "Inuyasha...be careful not to catch flies with that open mouth of yours..." Inuyasha promptly shut his mouth, but his lips formed into a small smile as he looked at her.

"Kagome...I...I love you too...more than anything..." he said, lifting her very carefully into his lap to embrace her.

Kagome's eyes shone with tears as she held her hand up in front of them, "Then...promise me...and I'll promise you..."

_**Take my hand...**_

_**(I promise...)**_

Inuyasha didn't need to think about it; if Kikyo ever came to claim his soul, he'd reject her...not out of spite, or out of past hate...or even strictly to stay alive himself...but he wanted Kagome to live...and he wanted to live _with_ her...

He nuzzled her a bit, "...I promise...I'll stay alive...with you...if you want me to..."

_**Take my hand...**_

Kagome smiled as he took her hand in his, "Then I promise too...I'll always want to be with you Inuyasha...I always have..." Inuyasha's smile broadened as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, as if to seal the deal.

"No going back now Kags...you've gotta pull through whether you like it or not..." he joked, laying his head on hers. Kagome smiled as blush crept onto her cheeks.

"Same goes for you dog boy...and if you do, I'll s-i-t you into the planet's molten core..."

Inuyasha looked at her oddly, "The earth has a melted core? I thought it was solid, how can it be melted?"

Kagome rolled her eyes at him and coughed a bit, "Oh shut it and go to sleep dog-boy..." Inuyasha nuzzled her once more.

"Well I guess _you're _feeling better...why do I feel like I've been tricked?" he retaliated. Kagome smiled as she closed her eyes.

"I'm not out of the woods yet...and it still hurts like hell...but I think I can manage as long as you're here..." she said. Inuyasha kissed her lightly on her forehead before laying his head on hers once more and closing his own eyes.

"I'm glad..."

_**I promise;**_

_**I won't let you down, you down,**_

_**If you take my hand tonight.**_

_**I promise;**_

_**We'll be just fine, this time,**_

_**If you take my hand tonight...**_

_**If you take my hand tonight...**_

"Lady Kagome has been injured! How badly?" Miroku asked, alarmed. He and Sango had returned quite early in the morning...for some reason, Sango hadn't wanted to set camp alone with the houshi, and so they had traveled all night...

Kaede sighed, "I am not sure...she was poisoned...Inuyasha has been caring for her all night as well...if she made it to this morning, she has more than a fair chance."

Sango's eyes were like saucers, "You...you mean it's bad enough that she could die? Who did this?" Kaede sighed.

"Now is not the time for that...ye want to see her I imagine?" The two nodded, and Kaede led them to her hut. Shippo ran up to them from seemingly nowhere.

"You guys are going to _love_ this! Inuyasha's showing emotion! _Happy_ emotion! It's kind of unnerving..." he said mischievously, trotting back to where he had come from, which happened to be the hut that they were heading for.

Everyone exchanged odd glances before speeding up and running to the hut. What they found when they walked inside was priceless. Inuyasha held Kagome in his lap, with his head resting on hers. Both were smiling, and their hands were clasped between them.

What made them the happiest, however, was the fact that Kagome appeared to be breathing normally, and the fever that Kaede had remembered from the night before had dissipated.

Kaede smiled and let out a breath that she hadn't realized that she had been holding, "Ye should wake them up...I will go gather the things to change her bandages with..." She walked out of the hut slowly, both relief and happiness reflecting on her aged face.

Miroku, meanwhile, twirled his staff with an evil smile on his face, "Don't mind if I do..." Sango looked at him quizzically, and he slammed Inuyasha in the head mildly with his staff.

Inuyasha jumped a bit as he came to, "Holy-Miroku! I'm gonna kick your-"

Miroku held his fingers to his lips and motioned to Kagome, who was miraculously still asleep. "Well, well Inuyasha, it seems as though _you've_ been busy while we were gone...have fun 'taking care of' Kagome?" he asked, a cheesy grin on his face.

Inuyasha growled and jumped up after the lech, accidently dropping Kagome. Her eyes snapped open instantly on contact with the floor and she bit down a yell of pain. Sango was next to her in an instant to make sure her friend was all right, while the boys were all running around outside, Miroku for his life, and Inuyasha to kill Miroku. Shippo was watching from the sidelines with an amused grin, knowing what was about to happen.

As soon as Inuyasha had his hands around Miroku's throat, Kagome yelled at them, quite angry.

"SIT! Inuyasha, that hurt! Miroku! Stop being such a damn lech; I was NOT sleeping when you said that!"

At the bottom of a six foot crater, in the form of two bodies instead of one, came two timid replies...or perhaps they were too afraid of further punishment to speak any louder...

"Sorry..."

Kaede watched all of this from the doorway of the other hut with a smile. _Inuyasha...I did not want to tell ye last night...but the poison should have killed her before dawn...I do not know what ye did...but ye did it well...take good care of her..._

_**I won't let you down,**_

_**So take my hand tonight.**_

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**Me-** The end! How was that? There was humor near the end right? Was it enough Suaru? I hope so...I wrote all of this in one day...and it's just short of ten pages long...I've NEVER written a chapter/one-shot that fast before! I guess it helps when you have a theme that just pops into your head! (It didn't hurt to have this damn song playing in the background for three consecutive hours either, but...)

So read and review! Especially you Suaru! I want to know if I did a good job on your reward! I shall be shamed if I did not!

P.S. Muwahahaha, Kachie's been in Florida for over a week with NO internet...now she had THREE updates to read! Muwahahahahahahahahahaa!


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